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No. 6l9,340. Patented Feb. l4, I899. F. H. PITKIN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING EXPANDED METAL.

(Application filed Sept. 17, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-$heet I.

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No. M9340.

F. u. PITKIN.

P'a'tontcd Feb. l4, I899.

MACHINE FOR MAKING EXPANDED IAETAL.

(Application mu: Sept. 11. mos.

(No Modal) 3 Sheets-Shea! 2.

Patented Fb. l4, I899.

F. H. PITKIN. MABHINE FOR MAKING EXPANDED METAL.

(Appliation filed Sept. 17, team 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

UNrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. PITKIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSIAH THOMPSON, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING EXPANDED METAL.

SPECIFICAIION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 619,340, dated February 14, 1899. Application filed September 17, 1898. Sens-1N0. 691,183. (No model.)

T0 at whom/ it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, FRANK H. PITKIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Expanded Metal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to machines for slitting or splitting sheet metal and stretching apart the strands thus formed, so as to produce a mesh or network, and it has more especial reference to that type of such machines in which each strand is bent by the cutter or knife to a certain extent and certain form, so that the mesh or all of the openings will be of uniform size and formation.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a machine for the purpose described in which the sheet to be expanded may be fed continuously therethrough, and thus greatly reduce the time heretofore required for the manufacture of a given quantity of the product.

More specifically stated, the primary object of my invention is to simultaneously cut and expand the metal by means of rotary cutters, whereby the sheet to be expanded may be fed rapidly and continuously through the machine and the output thereby greatly increased and the danger of fracturing the metal heretofore due to the sudden impact of the reciprocating knives heretofore used will be avoided.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings,Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof, taken on the irregular section-line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking toward the discharge end of the machine. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the splitting-cutter. Fig. 4 is an en-. larged transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2, the side frames of the machine being broken away. Fig. 5 is a detail plan section taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail side elevation of one of the rotary cutters and the expanded sheet of metal.

1 2 represent the outer or side frames of the machine, which are provided along their upper edges with journal-boxes 3 4, respectively, and in these boxes are journaled transverse shafts 5, 6, and 7, all of the said shafts being rotatedin the same direction by any suitable means such, for instance, as a shaft 8, having a driving-pulley 8 and being mounted in journals 9, arranged at suitable intervals along the side frame 1 and having worms 10, engaging with worm-wheels 11 on the shafts 5 6 7, respectively. On each of the shafts 6 is mounted a pair of rotary members or cutters 12 13, all of which revolve in the direction of the line of movement of the sheet to be expanded and in different vertical planes. These cutters are arranged in two converging series. The cutters in each series are located one in advance of the other and in a line at an angle to the line of movementof the sheet, and their cutting-faces are all substantially parallel, the cutters of each succeeding pair being arranged a little closer together than those of the preceding pair.

Arranged under and between the cutters 12 13 is a table or support 14, and secured to both sides of the table, adjacent to each of the cutters 12 13, so as to cooperate with the inner face thereof, which is the cutting-face, is a stationary knife 16, which also serves to support the sheet against the downward pressure of the cutters 12 13. These knives are arranged parallel with the innercutting-faces of the cutters 12 13 and adjacent to their plane of rotation, and the cutters 12 13 preferably have ther cutting-faces arranged in planes parallel with the line of movement of the sheet of metal 15 to be cut or expanded.

Hence the inner faces of the knives are all parallel, but the knives of each succeeding pair are set a little closer together than those of the preceding pair, and the table or sheetsupport is consequently tapered or converged in a form complementary to the two series of suitable slot or opening therein, as will be understood, so as to press the sheet against the under side of the feed-roll 17, which is positively driven. In the drawings, however, I have shown the pressure-rolls 18 under only every fourth one of the feed-rolls 17, as this affords sufficient friction on the sheet to impel it forward through the machine if it should be found that the rotary cutters themselves fail of this purpose. The sheet of metal to be cut or expanded is shown at 15, and it is fed into the wider end of the machine over the table 14 and the pressure-roll 18 and is engaged near its outer edges on both sides by the rotary cutters 12 13. These rotary cutters 12 13 have peripheral projections12 andin axial section are star-shaped, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and the points 12 of the stars produce the slit by a shearing action in cooperation with the stationary knives 16, which support the main body of the sheet, andsuch points or projections 12 also expand the metal or bend the strand away from the main body of the sheet by pressing the strand downwardly in the form of steps, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, one of the steps or kinks appearing in Fig. 4 being formed by each of the cutters at the forward end of the machine, arranged at a greater distance apart than the two cutters shown in Fig. 4. To the end that the projections 12 may have this action the cutters and sheet-support, whatever it may be, are so relatively arranged that the projections extend past the support, but the body portion of the cutter does not extend below or cut into the plane in which the supporting-surface of the support lies, so that while the narrow strands between the slits will be pressed down by the projections 12 the web of metal between the ends of the slits will not be in danger of being sheared off from the main body of the sheet in a manner that would run the slits together. The cutters 12 13 are of considerable axial extent in order that their edges engaging with the knives 16 may shear off a strand or produce the slit,

1 while theirbroad surfaces will press the strand downwardly and bend it at its mid-length, as shown in Fig. 6, thus giving the strand the formation of one side of a diamond. The first pair of rotary cutters 12 13 produce a series of short slits along each side of the strip of metal and bend downwardly the strands thus produced in the form of waves,keeping the trough or bottom of the wave parallel in cross View, as shown in Fig. 4, with the surface of the main part of the sheet. The next pair of cutters 12 13 produce a similar series of slits at a point a little farther inward along the edges of the strip, but each slit of the second series begins at the mid-length of one of the slits of the first series, so that the strand pressed down by the second pair of cutters will form the lower side of the upper diamond and the upper inner ends of two of the lower diamonds, and this alternating arrangement is carried out throughout the series of cutters,

as will be understood, the last pair of cutters in the series being arranged so close together that there will be a double strand of the metal left between the two rows of slits produced by them. As the sheet passes on from the said last pair of cutters it engages between two rotary cutters 19 20, one of which is mounted on the shaft 5, while the other is an idler and mounted below it in a suitable journalbox 21, supported upon an adjustable stock 22, having a screw 23 stepped in the baseplate 24 of the frame, so that the pressure of the cutter 20 against the cutter 19 may be regulated. The cutters 19 and 20 have interlapped edges, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that as the sheet engages between them it will be split down the center strand left between the slits formed by the last pair of cutters, and thus produce two sheets of the expanded metal. This splitting of the sheet I find desirable on account of the sheet being bent into aV -shape form in cross-section as an incident of the, action of the rotary cutters 12 13.

Ordinarily the rotary star-shaped cutters will be suificient in themselves to feed the sheet forward in the absence of feed-rollers; but where the sheet is very thin or smooth or for any other reason the cutters should be found insufficient the positively-driven feedrolls before described may be employed. Where the table 14 is of considerable width, the press Lire-roll 18 may of course be arranged directly under the feed-roll 17 of the shaft which carries the rotary cutters; but where the table is too narrow to permit of the roller 18 being located under the cutter-shaft and between the cutters thereon a special feedroll 17 arranged on the shaft 7, which is like one of the shafts 6, may be-employed, and one of the idle pressure-rolls 18 may be located thereunder, the entire surface of the table being cut away for the admission of the roll 18, if desired. When this expedient is resorted to, the special feed-roll17 and its shaft 7 will of course take the place of one of the shafts 6 and its pair of cutters and will simply serve to advance the sheet from one pair of cutters to the next. This substitution of a special feed-roll17 may be resorted to throughout the length of the series wherever necessary. The table 14 is shown in the drawings as a solid casting of Web-like form extending from the pressure-rolls 17 downwardly to the baseplate 24, but any skeleton form or other structure will answer the purpose. In the form shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the top of the out being rounded out through the surface of the table 14, as shown at 25, so as to permit the roll 18 to slightly protrude and contact with the bottom of the sheet 15, (see Fig. 4,) while the bottom of the cut is also rounded out to the diameter of the roller 18, as shown at 26, for the admission of the latter when being inserted. The roller 18 is mounted in an independent journal-box, which is formed on a short block 27, capable of being inserted together with the roller through the bottom opening 26. After the block 27 and roller have been inserted and pushed upwardly to the top of the opening another block 28, provided in its bottom with an adjusting-screw 29, is inserted under the block 27 and the lower end of the screw stepped in the baseplate 24, the screw having a turning-head 30 and a jam-nut 31, whereby the adjustment of the roller 18 may be effected, it being understood that the blocks 27 28 ride in the narrower portion of the cut-out, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and it being also understood that such narrower portion against which the blocks 27 28 rest is grooved vertically on both sides, as shown, for the upward passage of the roll 18. The table on each side of the said cut-out is provided Willl a V-shaped or other similar groove 32, and the stationary knives 16 are arranged against opposite sides of the blocks 27 28 and have V-shaped edges engaging in the V-shaped grooves 32, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The opposite edges of the knives 16 are beveled and engage under correspondingly-beveled edges of bars 33, so arranged that together with the V-shapcd grooves 32 they will constitute guideways for the knives 16 to slide in. Located under each of the knives 16 is a stock 34, upon which the knife rests, and this stock is provided with a vertical internally-threaded boss 35, in which engages a screw 36, having its lower end stepped in the base-plate 24 and provided with a turning-head 37 and a jam-nut 38, whereby the altitude of the stock may be va ried and the knife 16 accordingly adjusted. The edges of the stock 34 are also V-shaped and beveled like the edges of the knives 16,

and one edge fits in the V-shaped groove 32, while the other or beveled edge fits under the bevel of the bar 33, so that the stock is held and guided by the same guideway which guides the knife. The bar 33 is set in a rabbeted portion 39 of the table and is adj ustable to and from the edge of the stock 34 and knife 16, so that when pulled awayfrom such edge the knife may be removed for sharpening or other purpose. The bar 33 is held with capability of adjustment by parallel pivoted links 40 and may be secured against accidental displacement by keys 41. By the means described it will be seen that the pressure-roll 18 is held against movement in one direction by the table and in the other direction by the knives 16 and their stocks 34.

At the points where the pressure-rolls 18 are omitted under the rotary cutters 12 13 the web of the table need not be cut entirely through; but the stationary knives 16 are set in the guideways and held in the manner already described and as clearly shown in Fig. 5. In order that the rotary cutters 12 13 may be removed from their shafts without removing the shafts for refacing their cutting edges, each of such cutters is composed of two divisions, it being divided substantially on its diameter. These divisions are fitted together against the feed roll 17, which constitutes shoulders for the abutment of the cutters, and the outer side of each cutter is provided with a shoulder 42, over which is fitted a collar 43, also arranged on the cutter-shaft and being held firmly against the cutter bya nut 44, secured against retrograde movement by jam-nut 45. As shown in Fig. 2, each member of the rotarycutter is secured against r0 tary movement on the shaft by a key 46.

The splitting-cutter 19, whose cutting edge is circular instead of being star-shaped like the cutters 12 13, is also secured to its shaft '5 in a similar manner, so that the cutter may be removed from its shaft and its cutting edge resurfaced. The cutter 19, however, is composed of two disks, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, one being of slightly-greater diameter than the other, and each of these disks is divided and provided with an annular shoulder 48, over each of which is fitted a collar 49, held in place by nuts 50, as before described with reference to the rotary cutters 12 13. This enables me to remove the disks constituting the cutter 19 and resurface the inner face of the larger one when its edge is dull. The other splitting-cutter 20 may be constructed in a similar manner, if desired, but it is not necessary in this instance to divide the disks, because the journal of the cutter 20 is accessible and maybe removed with little inconvenience.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a plurality of cutters arranged in converging series and a table arranged between said cutters and having knives at its edges cooperating with the cutting-faces of said cutters, substantially as set forth.

2. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a sheet-support, a plurality of rotary cutters arranged in pairs axially and projecting past the edges of said support on diametrically opposite sides thereof, and each cutter on each side of the support having its cutting edge in a different vertical plane from the others on the same side, substantially as set forth.

3. A machine for making expanded metal havingin combination a rotary cutter, a frame having vertical guideways, knives located therein on opposite sides of said frame and vertically-adj ustable stocks on opposite sides IIO of said frame and upon which stocks said knives rest, and a vertically-adjustable pressure-roll held between said stocks under said rotary cutter, substantially as set forth.

4. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a number of transverse shafts having end bearings, a support for the sheet to be expanded arranged transversely of and under said shafts, two cutters located onreach of said shafts, at an intermediate point thereof, one on each side of said support and the cutting edges of the cutters on one shaft being located in difierent vertical planes from the cutting edges of the cutters on the other shafts, substantially as set forth.

5. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a plurality of rotary cutters star-shaped in axial section and arranged in converging series and having their inner cut ting-faces arranged in different vertical planes and knives located adjacent to the inner face of each of said cutters and cooperating therewith, substantially as set forth.

6. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a plurality of rotating members having peripheral projections and a support for holding the sheet to be expanded against said projections, located adjacent to the plane of rotation of said members, and past the edge of which support said projections extend, said rotating members and support being so relatively arranged that the body portions of the rotating members do not cut into the plane in which the supporting-face of the support lies and said rotating members being arranged in a line extending at an angle to the line of movement of the sheet and one in advance of the other, substantially as set forth.

7. I A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a plurality of rotating members provided with peripheral projections having their engaging facesaxially elongated and provided on their inner sides with cutting edges, and a support for holding the sheet to be expanded against said projections, located adjacent to the plane of rotation of said members and past the edge of which support said projections extend, said rotating members and support being so relatively arranged that the body portions of the rotating members do not cut into the plane in which the supporting-face of the support lies and said rotating members being arranged in a line at an angle to the line of movement of the sheet and one in advance of the other, substantially as set forth.

8. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a plurality of rotating members provided with peripheral projections having their engaging faces axially elongated and parallel with the plane of the sheet to be expanded and provided on their inner sides with cutting edges, and a support for holding the sheet to be expanded against said projections, located adjacent to the plane of rotation of said members and past the edge of which support said projections extend, said rotating members and. support being so relatively arranged that the body portions of the rotating members do not cut into the plane in which the supporting-face of the support lies, and said rotating members being arranged in difierent parallel planes and one in advance of the other, substantially as set forth.

9. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a plurality of rotating members provided with peripheral projections, and a support for holding the sheet to be expanded against said projections, located adjacent to the plane of rotation of said members and past the edge of which support said projections extend, said rotating members and support being so relatively arranged that the body portions of the rotating members do not cut into the plane in which the supporting-face of the support lies and said rotating members being arranged one in advance of the other in a line at an angle to the line of movement of the sheet and on each side of said support, substantially as set forth.

10. A machine for making expanded metal having in combination a plurality of rotating members provided with peripheral projections, knives for holding the sheet to be expanded against said projections, located adjacent to the plane of rotation of said members and past the edges of which knives said projections extend, said knives and rotating members being so arranged that the body portions of the rotating members do not extend beyond the edges of the knives and said rotating members and knives being located in a line at an angle to the line of movement of the sheet and at different points with. reference to the length of the sheet, substantially as set forth.

FRANK H. PITKIN.

Witnesses:

EDNA B. JoHNsoN, F. A. HOPKINS. 

